Different
by Michiru Fhang
Summary: Crystal knew she was different from the other children, but this is too much. Follow this London orphan as she learns about magic and herself.
1. The Invitation

Hi, I'm Crystal Light and this is my first Harry Potter fanfiction. I hope you enjoy and constructive criticism is always welcome.

Disclaimer: This disclaimer is for the entirety of this fiction. I don't own Harry Potter and I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm only borrowing them. I only have claim on my Original Characters.

Translations are at the bottom.

-

**Prologue**

Two shadowed figures made their way down the cold London streets, one a woman and the other a slim man. The woman was holding a small bundle of blankets in her arms, keeping it close to herself as their hurried. The two of them stopped at a large orphanage, the man looking over it and the woman hugged the bundle even closer to her body. If one could see their faces, tears could be seen leaving the woman's eyes as she whispered a string of soft foreign words into the bundle. The man placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and whispered something in an urgent tone.

"I don't want to leave her, but I know she will be safer here." The woman whispered back, placing the bundle on the ground, sheltering it with the building's stoop.

"Ring the bell and, let's leave, before we are found." The man ordered in a hushed whisper, the urgency in his voice increasing.

The woman nodded and rang the doorbell to the orphanage several times, until they heard movement coming towards the door. Then the two hurried away, hiding in the shadows, as a middle-aged woman came to the door and saw the small bundle. The bundle began to cry when the woman picked it up, signally that the babe within had awoken. The woman peered through the darkness for a moment, and shook her head sadly, before bringing the small baby into the building. The two figures embraced each other, knowing that their daughter would be safe, even if she would be far from even them.

"Good-bye, my dear." The woman whispered.

"Come the dawn is almost upon us." The man said, before looking at the building, "Good-bye, my little _kiir,_ my little Crystal Lia."

**Chapter One: The Invitation**

Ten years passed and it was now the beginning of July, eleven-year-old Crystal's favorite time of year. These were the days that Crystal relished, spending most of her time upon the roof of the orphanage, tending to her garden. Her wavy russet-brown hair was pulled into a thick braid, so that it would not be in the way as she worked. This was the only time that her pointed ears would be shown, because Crystal kept them hidden otherwise. She was smaller and frailer than the other children at the orphanage, so she was teased by many of the children. Her ears and her lack of good health were brought up often by the other boys and girls, which made her more withdrawn.

Her frailness was one of the major factors in why she was never adopted, with her truly needing to be in fresh air instead of the thick air of London. None of the people were willing to move from the city, and those outside of the city needed a child that was already strong to help with the daily chores. This meant that Crystal would mostly likely be one of the children that would remain in the orphanage until she became of age. Crystal continued to have hope that she would become stronger, but nothing seemed to help her much anymore, aside from dealing with each bout of illness as it came.

"Crystal…" Mrs. Smith, the head of the orphanage called gently from the rooftop doorway, "There's a woman here to see you."

"I'll be finished in a moment, Mrs. Smith." Crystal said, without turning around, "I can't stop in the middle of repotting."

"I would be willing to remain outside with Miss Crystal Lia." Another female voice said in a firm, yet kind tone, "The fresh air will be most welcome after being on the train and Underground most of the day."

"Of course, Professor." Mrs. Smith said, before leaving and closing the door, "I must see to the other children, now."

"Please feel free to move the petunias and sit down, Professor." Crystal said over her shoulder.

"Did you grow all these yourself?" The Professor asked, still remaining standing.

"Yes, ma'am." Crystal replied, before hesitantly continuing, "It's quite odd, but they even thrive right up until the first heavy snowfall."

"Really, do you have any guess as to why?" The Professor asked, her voice sounding slightly amused.

"I think it's magic." Crystal said without any doubt, turning to face the woman, "It's the only explanation that makes sense in my mind."

The woman was dressed in an older styled dress, deep emerald in color, which came down to her ankles. Her dark hair was pulled back into a firm knot at the back of her head, and she had sharp eyes that told Crystal at once that the woman was strict. The professor also wore square glasses, which seemed slightly odd to Crystal at first, yet suited the woman quite well. The only thing about the woman that surprised Crystal was the fact that she was not looking at Crystal like the girl was crazy for suggesting that her garden survived due to magic.

"Is there any other reason why you think magic may play a factor?" The Professor asked, an intrigued expression forming on her face.

"I'm not like the other children." Crystal replied softly, "I can hear things, feel things that they can't. Animals and plants seem to flourish around me."

"You are correct, my dear. You are _not_ like the other children here." The Professor replied, "I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Then it _is_ magic." Crystal said, feeling a tingle of excitement form within her chest, while her blue-green eyes flashed, "But why are you here, Professor?"

"I am here to extend you an invitation to Hogwarts, child." McGonagall replied, "You are a witch, and Hogwarts will train you in how to use your magic."

"I would love to attend your school, but…" Crystal trailed off.

"Hogwarts has a special fund to help students like you." Professor McGonagall said gently, "We will pay for your books, uniform, and supplies. However, most of it will be secondhand."

"Of course, I understand." Crystal nodded, "Thank you, Professor."

"Now that that is out of the way, we must be off to Diagon Alley to purchase your supplies." McGonagall stated, "First, I believe I should let your caretaker know about the school and our shopping trip."

"I will wash up, and change." Crystal said, "These are my gardening clothes."

"Yes, that would be a wise idea." Professor McGonagall nodded, before heading back down the stairs.

When Crystal met Professor McGonagall at the door, the frail girl was no longer dressed in the overalls and the faded t-shirt. She was now wearing a light blue blouse and a pair of old faded blue jean, and her hair was now in a very low ponytail, hiding the pointed tips of her ears. In her hands was a book, which seemed to be the newest item, even amongst her clothing. It was a deep blue book with the title _Unicorns and Winged-horses: A Scientific Study_ scrolled across the top in silver script. Professor McGonagall chuckled at the sight of the book, knowing that there was only one way for the small girl to have received it. The older woman offered her hand to the smaller girl, stating that Mrs. Smith knew that the two of them would be gone the rest of the day.

"Where is the school located?" Crystal asked after they had seated themselves on a bus, "Is it in a city?"

"It is located far out in the countryside, but there is a small village near it." McGonagall explained, "Your trip there will take the majority of a day."

"The countryside?" Crystal asked, her eyes wide with excitement, "That sounds absolutely wonderful."

"Yes, Mrs. Smith said that your health is better away from the city." McGonagall said, "I think going to Hogwarts will help your health considerably."

The two traveled in silence, Professor McGonagall signaling the driver to stop at the corner where a large bookstore stood. When they stepped off of the bus, Crystal noticed a small, old-looking pub between the large bookstore and the equally large record shop on the other side. Professor McGonagall led Crystal inside the pub, stating that they were going to stop for a light lunch before their shopping. Crystal's face fell at the mention of lunch, being reminded that she had no pocket money. Professor McGonagall reassured Crystal that the lunch was would not have to be repaid, especially considering the young girl's living situation.

The old bartender, Tom, smiled jovially at Professor McGonagall and welcomed Crystal to the Leaky Cauldron, the apparent name of the pub. Crystal smiled back shyly giving the much older man a quiet greeting, before he led them to a small table. Crystal jumped when a table setting for tea appeared out of thin air, startled by the sudden sight. Then her eyes when wide as the tea pot floated to first Professor McGonagall's teacup and filled it, before it filled her own. A delighted smiled filled Crystal's face when the sugar bowl walked across the table to her and offered its content to the young girl. When they where halfway through with their tea, two small menus appeared on the table, right in front of each of them.

"Now, order whatever you would like, dear." McGonagall said, "You'll need your energy for our shopping."

"Salad and a grilled cheese sandwich." Crystal finally decided, looking up, "I don't eat much meat if I can help it."

"I understand." McGonagall nodded, "Most witches and wizards that can understand animals avoid eating meat."

They ordered their meals and ate, while Crystal asked questions about the school and the grounds. Professor McGonagall explained everything to young girl as best she could, including about the wizardry sport of Quidditch. She also told Crystal the names of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Crystal soaked up all the information that the witch had to offer like a sponge, her excitement growing all the while. Anyone that was watching them would be able to feel, the energy that seemed to be building around the small-framed girl. One could almost see her pale skin gaining a healthy pink glow of life as she spoke to the older woman.

"Now that we're finished, time to go to Diagon Alley." McGonagall said, leading Crystal out the back door of the pub.

Crystal watching in silent awe as Professor McGonagall tapped one of the bricks above the dust bin, causing a huge gate to slowly melt into the wall. Crystal's eyes went wide as Professor McGonagall lead her through the large gate, telling the small girl to stay close. Crystal grabbed the Professor's hand and held it tightly as the older woman led her through the crowded street. As excited as Crystal had been, her excitement had quickly turned into shyness and she tried her best to stay out of sight behind Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall was surprised at first by Crystal's reaction to the crowded street, but then recalled how Mrs. Smith had told her that Crystal was very nervous around large groups on the few outings the orphanage took. Fortunately, when they entered the first shop, Flourish and Blotts, Crystal's love of books overcame her shyness instantly. She quickly released Professor McGonagall's hand to explore the bookstore, finding each of the books on her list with ease. Professor McGonagall noticed that when Crystal started picking out the books, she had taken used copies of all the books, except for _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ by Phyllida Spore and _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander.

"I see that you found two that you would prefer new." McGonagall remarked, seeing the stack of books, "Now, come along, getting a cauldron should have been our first stop."

"Is Father Christmas a wizard?" Crystal asked as Professor McGonagall led her to the cauldron shop, "Newt Scamander wrote the book I got from Father Christmas this past year."

"Some wizards like to bring joy to Muggle orphans." McGonagall said, "The Headmaster goes to many orphanages during the Christmas season."

Crystal nodded and remained silent as Professor McGonagall took her inside the large shop. The small girl peered around the shop, admiring some of the more expensive cauldrons, before she and Professor McGonagall found an inexpensive one that matched Crystal's list. There next stop was the Apothecary, which fascinated Crystal, especially when she noticed the silver unicorn horns. The small girl couldn't help herself and gingerly picked up one of the silver horns, examining it closely. It had obviously come from an older adult unicorn, judging from how tight the spiral was spun.

"You have a good eye." The shopkeeper chuckled, noticing Crystal, "That's probably the best out of the horns, came from the leader of the herd in the Forbidden Forest, outside of Hogwarts."

Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement, before she led Crystal to Madame Malkin's Robe Shop. Madame Malkin was a plump witch, with a bright smile as she led Crystal over to a pair of stools. One of the stools was occupied by a pale boy with long, white hair and soft chocolate eyes, who smiled at Crystal. She shyly returned the boy's smile and step up on the stool next to him. Once Crystal was on the stool, Madame Malkin started pinning long black robes to her measurements. Another smile broke out across the boy's face, his eyes traveling past Crystal, as someone else entered the shop.

"Sugoi!" A small female voice exclaimed, "She has elf ears!"

"Amane, it's not polite to point." An older female voice chided.

"Gomen, Kaa-san, demo…" The small female voice trailed off into the foreign language.

"There, there, dear." Madame Malkin soothed Crystal, who was now close to tears from the comment, "I think your ears are lovely, and that little girl thought there were very interesting. She was speaking in Japanese and said that they were amazing."

Then the little girl came into view, shaking her long navy, almost black, hair out of her doe-brown eyes. She looked up at Crystal and apologized for being rude and pointing at her elf-like ears. Crystal nodded an acceptance to the girl, who smiled and scurried back to where her mother was waiting. The boy smiled and stated that his sister usually acted without thinking, laughter in his voice. Crystal found herself smiling back at the boy shyly, tears still threatening to fall from her blue-green eyes. Crystal was overwhelmed by the small girl's acceptance of her ears, as well as Madame Malkin's attempt to calm her back down.

"You're from a Muggle family aren't you?" The boy asked gently.

"Orphanage, actually." Crystal replied, sniffling slightly, "They tease me about my ears all the time."

"I understand." The boy smiled, "When we go on outings to Muggle places, they make comments about our hair color. I'm Ryou Bakura; by the way, what's your name?"

"Crystal Lia." Crystal replied softly.

"Don't worry Crystal." Ryou beamed, "I think the other kids will like your ears as much as Amane and I do."

"That will do." Madame Malkin called, "You are finished, dearie."

"See you at Hogwarts!" Ryou called, waving goodbye to Crystal.

Meeting the white-haired boy did wonders for Crystal's shyness and self-consciousness. She now had a bright smile on her face as Professor McGonagall took her to the last few stops on their shopping trip. Crystal's spirits had risen, much like they had in the pub, causing the small girl to crane her neck, rather than hide. Professor McGonagall even took the small girl to Magical Menagerie, the pet shop within the alley. Cats mewled plaintively from there cages, some using their paws to attract the girl's attention. One rather large orange cat even decided to perch on Crystal shoulders, purring loudly as he flicked his tail contentedly.

"I've never seen him take to someone so well." The witch behind the counter smiled, "Crookshanks is usually quite temperamental."

"He's very sweet, but I can't take him." Crystal replied, "I've no money."

Crookshanks mewled in protest when Crystal hefted him off of her shoulders, handing the large orange longhaired cat over to the shopkeeper. Professor McGonagall noted the forlorn expression as she gave the still-purring cat one final pat. It was clear that the small girl did indeed have a strong connection with animals, especially based on how all the animals seemed to watch the frail girl out of the corners of their eyes. Professor McGonagall also noticed how more color and life had come back into the girl's face at the sight of the animals.

"Come, Crystal." McGonagall called, "We still need to buy your wand."

"Yes, ma'am." Crystal nodded quickly, before hurrying after the taller witch.

This was the part of their trip that Crystal was most anxious to complete, considering she still had some doubts. Ollivanders was the name of the shop Professor McGonagall led Crystal into, stating that it was the best place for wands. Crystal nodded mutely to the Professor's comment and looked around the dusty shop quietly, not daring to touch anything. There was a strange tingle that ran over Crystal's body, causing her to shudder slightly, before a wizened old wizard appeared. He gave a slight smile to both Professor McGonagall and Crystal, before asking Crystal her name.

"Crystal Lia, sir." Crystal replied softly.

"I've not her that surname before, Lia." Ollivander remarked thoughtfully.

"It is my middle name, sir." Crystal corrected gently, "I'm an orphan."

"I see." Ollivander nodded, before smiling sadly, "Well, then, let's measure you. Hold out your wand arm, my dear."

Crystal hesitantly held out her left arm and Mr. Ollivander started to measure her with a silver measuring tape. Then he stepped away, the tape still measuring, and started to remove boxes from the shelves. As he pulled down an assortment of boxes, explaining about his shop all the while with a smile on his face. He gave a loud clap and the measuring tape fell to the ground, allowing Mr. Ollivander to place a wand in Crystal's hand. He told her to give the wand a wave, but no sooner than she lifted her arm, the wand was snatched away again. This processed continued for a while, Mr. Ollivander growing more excited as he continued.

"Try this one, Miss Crystal Lia. It's one of my foreign woods" Ollivander encouraged, "Sakura, unicorn hair, exactly twelve inches, springy."

The tingling Crystal felt when she took the wand in her hand intensified, warmth rushing over her body. As she drew the wand overhead, silver and gold sparks showered over the three of them, a bright smile on Crystal's face. Mr. Ollivander wrapped Crystal's wand, beaming all the while, telling her that he was very happy to know that one of his rarer wands had found a home. Professor McGonagall raised and intrigued eyebrow, before handing over the five gold Galleons for the wand. The two left the shop, Crystal smiling broadly as she walked, feeling extremely pleased with her new wand.

"Crystal, do you have any friends at the orphanage?" McGonagall asked, keeping her voice even.

"No, ma'am." Crystal shook her head sadly, "The others avoid me."

"Would you like a pet?" McGonagall queried, "I've brought it up to your caretaker that you are allowed an animal at Hogwarts, and she agrees that you may have a pet, so long at it is cared for."

"I wouldn't want the others to become jealous." Crystal murmured, "They will try to steal away any pet if it is found."

"Considering your lack of companionship at the orphanage, I think we should invest in an animal of some sort." McGonagall explained, "Between what Mrs. Smith and you have told me, you are alone most of the time."

"Professor, are you allowed to spend the money on an animal?" Crystal asked, worried that Professor McGonagall might get in trouble.

"The Headmaster allows it." Professor McGonagall assured the small girl, "I will not be in trouble."

"According to your letter a cat, toad, or an owl is allowed." Crystal mused, "I don't trust the others to leave a cat or a toad alone."

"So, an owl it is." McGonagall nodded, steering Crystal towards another store, "I'm sure we can find a decent one in Eeylops Owl Emporium."

Before Crystal could protest, she found herself in the dim shop, gazing in awe at the many jewel-eyed owls that hooted softly in greeting. Professor McGonagall watched as Crystal's love for animals took over her protests as the young girl slipped down one of the aisles. Professor McGonagall followed after the girl, who seemed to be visiting with each of the owls individually. The sight brought a small smile to the professor's lips, seeing how the seemingly shy and withdrawn girl opened up to the feathered animals. Her thoughts were broken by a sharp gasp from the shopkeeper, who was staring at Crystal as a silver-grey owl nuzzled her fingertips through its cage.

"How did you do that?" He asked, staring at Crystal, "That owl tries to bite me every time I feed him or clean his cage, and he goes after customers too."

"Miss Crystal Lia is gifted with animals, Jeremiah." McGonagall spoke up, "How much is that owl?"

"I'll give him to the girl." Jeremiah replied quickly, "She's the first that he's shown any form of affection towards."

Professor McGonagall and Crystal were laden with many oblong packages as they made their way back to the orphanage, slipping inside, while the other children were eating their dinners. Professor McGonagall explained that she would make arrangements for someone to collect Crystal on September 1st so that she could get to the train on time. Crystal nodded and thanked Professor McGonagall for all that the older woman had done for her, especially the allowance of the two new books. Professor McGonagall explained that Crystal had been very frugal with all of her other purchases and the two books that she had chosen would most likely be best to be new books.

"I'll see you on the First of September." McGonagall stated, "Don't worry. You will do well at Hogwarts."

Crystal said goodbye and Professor McGonagall exited the room, closing the door behind her. Once the older woman was gone, Crystal tore into the packages, loading almost everything into her trunk. The only things she left out were the two new books, which she stored with her _Unicorns and Winged-horses_ in her nightstand drawer, and the cage that held the silver-grey screech owl, which was blinking his icy blue eyes sleepily. Crystal was glad and as she opened the door to her new owl's cage, along with the window to her room. She was exhausted from the day's adventure and crawled into her bed, falling asleep within seconds.

-

There's the first chapter. Hoped you liked it.

Translations

_kiir_ -gem

Sugoi -Cool

Gomen, Kaa-san,demo... -I'm sorry, Mother, but…


	2. September First

Sorry for the long wait, but my creative juices are running on low. I don't plan to abandon this story either. I have far too many ideas for later books to stop now. It's just getting there that may be the issue. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Oh yeah, moving the translations up here from now on.

Translations

Tou-san -Father

Hai -Yes/Yeah

Okaa-san -Mother

Nii-san -Older Brother

Sugoi -Cool

**Chapter Two: September First**

Every since her trip to Diagon Alley, Crystal had pored over her books, especially her copies of _One Thousand Magical Herbs _and_ Fungi_ and _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. She had committed most of both books to memory, as well as a good deal of her other books. Crystal had organized and reorganized the supplies within the battered, blue trunk at the foot of her bed. Her owl would blink sleepily from his cage, as she dug through her new belongings, before tucking his head under his wing. Crystal had named the silver-grey screech owl Artemis, after finding it was one of Newt Scamander's middle names.

On her last night at the orphanage before her school term started, Crystal packed away all of her belongings, books included. She was ready so that would be very little for her to repack come morning, a routine Crystal had formed early on. Smiling at Artemis, she opened his cage door so that he could hunt one final time, before their journey in the morning. Artemis fluttered to Crystal's shoulder, nuzzling her cheek, before he flew out the window into the night sky. While he was gone, Crystal fitted a piece of black cloth around his cage, so that he would be surrounded by darkness during the trip. Nodding to herself, Crystal had deemed everything ready for her trip in the morning and proceeded to head downstairs for dinner.

As usual, Crystal found herself separated from the rest of the children in the large dining room, eating alone. No one seemed to particularly care that she would be leaving for a school in the country the following day. Crystal had a sinking feeling in her stomach that if anything, the other children would only notice her missing presence when she would not be there for them to tease. Sighing quietly to herself, Crystal picked at her food, and as she usually did, scooting the meat to the side of her plate. She would save the scraps of meat for Artemis, who was more than pleased to see the warm treat.

Crystal had received a letter the evening before, stating that she would be collected at ten o'clock on the September first. She needed to be completely packed for the journey, so that little time would be wasted. Crystal wondered many times during the day about who was going to be collecting her and how she would know the person had arrived. Her mind was so brimmed with questions that the usual dinnertime jeers and leers had little effect on Crystal. She was already far away from the orphanage in her mind, on a train, which would lead to the wonderful school she was going to attend.

Things were going quite well, until it was time for the evening's pudding, which happened to be a selection of fruit pies. The other children rushed forward, trying to secure the biggest and most fruit-filled pieces for themselves, but Crystal remained where she sat. She had learned long ago that her body was too frail for such competition; having earned many bruises and scrapes. It was better for her to wait, which usually meant she could have all of the little scraps together and be able to have a bit of each pie. Tonight was different though, there were no little scraps left over, so Crystal slipped away to her small room. A night without dessert would not harm her, besides the small girl knew that she must be ready for when the morning came.

"Hullo, Artemis." Crystal cooed, seeing the icy blue orbs of her pet, "I'd sleep now, if possible. We've a long day in the morning."

Artemis hooted softly almost as though he understood her words, before pecking at the chunks of warm meat. Closing the door to his cage and securing it, Crystal allowed the silver-grey screech owl to nuzzle her fingers gently. Bidding her only friend a fond goodnight, Crystal drew the black cloth over Artemis' cage. Then she changed into nightclothes and crawled under the covers of her bed, drifting into a rather peaceful sleep. Soon she would be rid of the orphanage until school's end, no longer having to bear the taunts of the other children.

Crystal awoke before dawn, her heart pounding with excitement as she scrambled out of bed and dressed. She wanted to take care of her flowers before leaving, knowing that it would most likely be the last time anyone tended to the small garden. When she opened the door to the rooftop, Crystal was greeted by the glowing of the just breaking dawn, which cast brilliant shades of gold, pink and orange over her flowers. The flowers seemed to be bigger, brighter and more beautiful than ever, as though they wanted to say good-bye. Crystal felt tears prick at her eyes as she watered the many petunias, roses, and lilies that grew on the rooftop.

After tending to the flowers, Crystal hurried back down to wash and check to make sure all of her belongings were together. Then she unbraided her russet-brown hair, effectively hiding her pointed ears from sight, not wishing to give reason for uncomfortable questions. Coupling a faded pair of jeans with an equally worn mint green blouse, Crystal made her way down the stairs to join the other children for breakfast. On the way downstairs, Crystal noticed that it was much quieter than usual, which made her feel uneasy. When it was quiet, Crystal knew that something was bound to happen, whether it was to be good or bad she would not know until it was too late.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" A chorus of voices shouted as Crystal opened the door to the dining room, causing her to jump with fright.

"Who'd have thought that you made it into a private school?" One of the dark-haired boys laughed, "No wonder you read so much."

Breakfast was a happy occasion despite the few snide ear jokes that the older children made. Most of the other orphans thought that the fact that Crystal had earned a full-scholarship was amazing. Crystal learned that Mrs. Smith had told the other that a teacher from the school had put in a good word for Crystal. To most of the children, even amongst the older ones, the fact that Crystal was accepted into a private school was no surprise. Everyone knew how much she read at the orphanage and how well she did in school, considering the evidence was often used for teasing on a daily basis.

After breakfast was over, Crystal hurried back up to her room once more, followed by Mrs. Smith. The older woman smiled gently at the small girl, before taking the large blue trunk and tugging it along behind her. Crystal picked up Artemis' cage and followed after Mrs. Smith, to the small library on the first floor. Once her trunk and Artemis were settled, Mrs. Smith left to attend to the other children, while Crystal paced nervously in the library. She still had no idea as to who was coming to collect her and was worried that her collector would find some reason to be displeased.

Crystal jumped when she heard the buzzer sound five minutes before ten o'clock; positive it was the one to collect her. Mrs. Smith's shoes clicked away to the front door and Crystal heard it open along with an indistinct male voice. Mrs. Smith replied in her business tone, a kind yet authoritative voice, which even worked to discipline the wildest child. Then Crystal heard the man laugh and call out the door, his words lost before they reached her pointed ears. The door closed and Mrs. Smith started to head towards the library, three pairs of footsteps trailing behind her as she walked.

"Right this way, Professor." Mrs. Smith called, entering the library, "The trunk is a bit difficult to move, but I'm sure your sons will have no problem."

A tanned man dressed in dark brown pants and a crisp white button-up shirt, which rested under a lighter brown sports jacket, followed Mrs. Smith into the room. He smiled at Crystal brightly, his dark brown eyes glowing in a fatherly manner from under navy-black hair. Beyond him was an equally tanned boy, older than Crystal, who had untamed, shoulder-length silver-white hair and sharp mahogany eyes that were narrowed in annoyance. The boy had a sharpness about his face and the entirety of his body, which made Crystal fidget as his eyes settled on her. Then just behind him was a shorter, much paler, boy, one with snow-white hair and gentle chocolate eyes. It was the same boy that Crystal met on her shopping trip is Professor McGonagall.

"You must be Crystal." The man said with a smile, "I am Professor Bakura and these are my sons, Akeifa and Ryou."

"Hello…" Crystal managed, still unnerved by the older boy's stare.

"Honestly…" The older boy shook his head, "C'mon Ryou. Help me with her trunk."

"Hello, again, Crystal." Ryou smiled, lifting the other end of the trunk, "Don't worry about Akeifa; his bark is worse than his bite."

Crystal nodded slightly, before picking up Artemis' cage and giving one final glance to Mrs. Smith. The older woman smiled and gave Crystal a hug, telling the smaller girl to enjoy her time at the school. Crystal nodded and followed Ryou and his brother out the door, Professor Bakura following close behind her. Children peered at them interestedly from doorways; some even leaning over the stair banister and the four of them exited the orphanage. It was like an _adoption day_, everyone bursting with a mixture of curiosity, jealousy, and happiness.

"You'd better not slack off at that fancy school, Elf-ears!" One of the older boys called, "It'll make us all look bad!"

Akeifa shook his mane of silver-white hair in annoyance at the shout, but Crystal and Ryou both smiled. Professor Bakura ushered Crystal and the two brothers into the backseat of the car, stating that they needed to keep on schedule. Crystal found her body squeezed between Akeifa and who she guessed by now to be the boys' younger sister. The little girl, no older than seven was smiling brightly, her doe eyes shimmering up at Crystal through long navy-black bangs. Then Crystal looked up to see Professor Bakura's wife, who was sitting up front, waiting for her husband. She had the same pale tone as Ryou, a couple shades lighter than her daughter, as well as silvery blonde hair and the same doe eyes as her daughter.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Crystal." She smiled back at the orphan, "I am Mina Bakura, and the girl next to you is Amane, my youngest."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Crystal replied, smiling shyly.

"What kind of owl do you have?" Amane asked, motioning to the cage in Crystal's lap.

"He's a grey screech owl, Artemis." Crystal replied, "My only friend in the orphanage."

"Well, you'll have many more friends at Hogwarts." Professor Bakura stated, climbing into the driver's seat, "Even the ferocious Akeifa has friends."

"Hn…" Akeifa snorted beside Crystal, "Sure, friends. I won't hear the end of it if Ryou gets placed in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff."

"Come now, Akeifa." Professor Bakura chided from the front seat, "You know that each House is important."

"Whatever." Akeifa sighed, leaning his head back, "You try explaining that to them, Tou-san."

As their short drive continued, Amane taught Crystal a few words in Japanese, specifically the familial terms. Crystal repeated the words slowly, allowing them to swirl in her mouth before releasing the soft syllables into the air. The words were flowing and graceful, reminding Crystal of fragments of words that would sift into her dreams. The words in her dreams were more elegant than the Japanese words Amane had taught her, but the Japanese seemed so close, much closer than the harsh English language. Then, as they pulled into King's Cross Station, Crystal noted with a start that the rest of the family had been conversing around her in Japanese.

"Well, we're here." Mrs. Bakura beamed, switching back to English, "Amane and I will find a couple of trolleys. Akeifa, help your father with the trunks, and Ryou, watch the owls."

"I can help with the trunks." Crystal offered, trying to give a better impression of herself to the older boy.

"No, you're helping with the owls." Akeifa said sharply, "You're smaller than Ryou, and he was having trouble lifting your trunk."

As Akeifa and his father unloaded the trunks from the boot, Professor Bakura explained to Crystal what they were going to have to do to board the train. The girl's eyes went wide at the thought of having to run at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Then the Professor explained with a chuckle all that mattered was keeping calm, but going at the barrier at a run seemed to calm first time students. Crystal nodded slightly, but still felt butterflies flitting about in her stomach, causing it to clench nervously. Ryou offered some words of assurance, saying that the barrier was completely safe and nothing bad would happen.

Mrs. Bakura and Amane arrived back with three trolleys, one for each of the three older children. Professor Bakura and Akeifa quickly hefted the trunks on to the trolley, and then attached each of the covered cages carefully. Artemis hooted worriedly as Crystal pushed her trolley forward, following after Professor Bakura and Akeifa. She cooed a few words of comfort to the screech owl, promising to let him out for a little bit once she was on the train. Artemis clicked his beak in satisfaction and made his happy purling call to show his approval. When Crystal looked up, she noticed that they had arrived at the barrier between platforms nine and ten.

"Watch my husband and Akeifa as they go through." Mrs. Bakura said gently, suddenly standing beside Crystal, "It's very simple to do, especially with how distracted the Muggles are. They don't notice a thing."

Professor Bakura and Akeifa casually walked toward the barrier, talking to each other as if conversation. As they came closer they sped up their paced, just slightly and disappeared through the seemingly solid barrier. Crystal blinked in surprise, and Ryou moved to stand next to her, telling the smaller girl to walk forward and talk to him. Gulping, the smaller girl nodded and followed the instructions, her pace slightly quicker than Akeifa's had been. Ryou spoke to Crystal in a soothing voice, continuing to reassure her that nothing was going to go wrong. Before Crystal knew it they were through the barrier, an iron-wrought gate arched above them and a scarlet engine gleamed before them in the bright sunlight.

Crystal could see countless families milling about the train, loading on trunks as owls twittered worriedly in their cages and cats slinked about their owners' feet or stared disgruntled from their carriers. One boy even had a box that appeared to contain a large tarantula, judging from the hairy leg that poked out when he opened the lid slightly. There was even a round-faced boy clutching a large toad in his hands as he looked about worriedly for someone. There was so much movement and noise that Crystal found herself mesmerized by the sight, trying to take in everything at once.

"Oi, Ryou!" Akeifa's voice shouted, from one of the open doors, "You two are sitting with me this time around."

"Hai!" Ryou called back, before looking to Crystal, "Come on, Crystal."

Crystal nodded and followed after Ryou, pushing her trolley up to the open door, where Akeifa heaved her trunk inside. He and Professor Bakura lifted the three trunks and placed them above the seats in the compartment, followed by both owls. Then Mrs. Bakura appeared in the compartment, Amane tagging along behind her and handed out sandwiches to the three children, along with an amount of pocket money. Crystal was shocked that she was being included in what appeared to be a family tradition for the train ride to Hogwarts and tried to at least refuse the money. However Mrs. Bakura shook her head and refused to take back the small handful of silver Sickles that she had given to Crystal.

"Kaa-san, you're making her feel uncomfortable." Akeifa snickered, before turning to Crystal, "I've never seen anyone turn down money before. Are you sure you aren't hiding a fortune from us?"

"…" Crystal felt another hot embarrassed blush blaze across her face.

"Leave her be." Professor Bakura shook his head, "We need to get off. Behave yourselves, especially you Akeifa. Crystal and Ryou enjoy your time and try not to let Akeifa steer you too wrongly."

"Thank you, Professor Bakura, Mrs. Bakura." Crystal said in a meek voice, "I will repay you for your kindness."

Professor Bakura chuckled at her words, while Mrs. Bakura drew Crystal into a warm, motherly hug. Both adults smiled brightly as they exited the train, waving good-bye to the children from the window. Crystal waved shyly from the window, while Akeifa and Ryou practically hung out the window, calling their good-byes in Japanese. The train curved around the track and in an instant the station was completely out of sight, trees and houses taking over the view. Groups of students already dressed in their black robes came by occasionally, greeting Akeifa, before sizing up Ryou and staring unimpressed at Crystal. A lump had formed in the shy girl's throat and she could do little more than murmur an infrequent greeting.

"So who's the girl?" A rather large older student queried.

"She's from a Muggle orphanage, Flint." Akeifa shrugged, "Father volunteered the family to bring her to the station with us."

"And this must be Ryou." Flint remarked, eyes running up and down Ryou's form, "You weren't kidding. He looks an awful lot like you, just paler."

"Yes, but his personality won't land him in Slytherin." Akeifa shook his silvery head, "He's almost my polar opposite."

"Well, do try out for the team this year." Flint stated, "You've a good mind for Quidditch. Your strategies are what won us the last game."

"I'll think about it." Akeifa nodded.

"Good luck with your brother." Flint nodded, before adding with a smirk, "Catch, girl."

With a flick of his great wrist, Flint tossed a large toad into Crystal's lap, startling her slightly. She stared down at the frog in confusion and went to look back at Flint, but he had already disappeared into the corridor. Still holding the clammy amphibian, Crystal raised an eyebrow at Akeifa who looked like he was about to burst out laughing. When he calmed himself, Akeifa stated that Crystal was the oddest girl he had ever met, which apparently was a good thing. His mahogany eyes were flashing with laughter, as the older Bakura brother leaned back in his seat.

"He didn't get a rise out of you." Akeifa snickered, "You must not mind toads and the like. Most girls I know would have screamed."

"They help my garden grow." Crystal replied patting the toad on its head, "Besides, I've had enough teasing to block out most attempts."

"Well, just give Flint some berth and he'll ignore you." Akeifa shrugged, before motioning to the toad, "Now, let's see. Who does this bloke belong to? Probably a first year, considering Flint has an owl."

"I'm sure someone will come looking." Ryou replied, "We can get box for him to stay in."

"The cart witch will have something." Akeifa nodded, "So, you'll have to hold it till then I guess."

Crystal nodded with a slight smile, happy that she had made a better impression on the older boy. Ryou was beaming brightly as well, asking his older brother questions about the school and the grounds. Akeifa explained some of the quirks he had found during his previous two years at the school. He explained that there were stairways that moved, doors that were stubborn about opening and even walls that just appeared to look like doors. Then there was the giant lake on the grounds, and finally the Forbidden Forest that wrapped around the far side of the grounds. There were all sorts of creatures that supposedly lived in the Forest, including pearly white unicorns, werewolves, and even a herd of centaurs.

Next Akeifa launched into the explanation of the wizard sport of Quidditch, when Crystal asked him about the word. The game was played upon broomsticks and sounded to Crystal like it was a combination of rugby and basketball from the Muggle world. There were four balls, two of which were meant to pelt players off of their broomsticks and the two others that were meant for scoring. Akeifa snickered slightly as Crystal tried to make sense of the game and told her that the best way to understand the game would be when she actually had a chance to watch. Akeifa also claimed that he was considering joining the Slytherin Quidditch team that year, mainly because one of their Chasers had graduated the year before.

"Anything from the cart, dears?" A smiling dimpled woman asked, sliding open their compartment door.

"Yeah, let's see." Akeifa peered at the cart, "How about a little bit of everything. Crystal's not had any wizard treats before."

"And a box for the toad that we found." Ryou piped up, "I want extra Frogs, too, Akeifa-nii-san."

"Hai, hai." Akeifa replied dismissively, waving his hand at Ryou, while taking the wizard treats and a small box from the witch.

Crystal placed the toad in the box, where it croaked happily on the seat, while Akeifa paid the cart witch. Then, the three children divided up the candies, both boys making sure that Crystal had a little bit of each. After Crystal's lap was loaded, Ryou tore into his Chocolate Frogs, pulling out an assortment of cards from each wrapper. Crystal looked down at her lap and decided to try the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and took a green one that appeared to be apple. However, when the bean touched her tongue, Crystal nearly jumped in shock; it was the flavor of fresh spring grass. Akeifa's laughter rang through the compartment, while Ryou had a small frown on his face, shaking his head in annoyance.

"So, what flavor?" Akeifa asked, finally calmed, "Not what you expected."

"It was spring grass." Crystal replied, "I thought it was going to be apple, but that was better."

"They mean every flavor." Ryou explained, before adding in an exasperated voice, "I can't believe Nii-san did that to you."

"If it had been any other color I would have." Akeifa waved it off, "I know all of the greens. Trust me; I would have pitched a boogie."

Crystal smiled shyly at the older boy, before tucking away the rest of her beans and leaning against the window. She did not realize that she had fallen asleep until Ryou shook her gently, saying that she needed to change into her school robes. He and Akeifa were already changed, which meant they had either left the compartment, or had changed while she slept. Seeing that the door to their compartment was open, Crystal assumed that it was the former the boys had done, so as to spare any of them any embarrassment or trouble. Akeifa ushered his brother out the door, telling Crystal to change and to be ready to get off the train within the next half-hour. Crystal nodded and quickly changed into her black school robes, letting the boys in when she was finished.

"Put your sweets in your trunks." Akeifa said, upon his return, "There'll be the Start-of-Term Feast, after the Sorting."

"Where's the toad?" Crystal asked, "I don't see him anywhere."

"His owner turned up." Ryou smiled, "He nearly burst into tears when he saw the toad. I'm surprised he didn't wake you."

The train started to slow, and Akeifa made it known that he would be taking a different route to school than Ryou and Crystal. All they had to do was follow the gamekeeper with the other first years, and they would see each other again in the Great Hall. Crystal nodded along with Ryou and the two of them glanced at each other nervously. Akeifa chuckled and shook his head, while the train came to a complete stop and all the students started to get off. Crystal and Ryou clambered off the train, following after Akeifa, until they heard the call for the first years to gather around a huge man. He was so tall and wide that Crystal was sure that the man would be able to lift five or six first years with ease.

"Ja ne!" Akeifa called, before disappearing into a sea of students, "See you in the Great Hall, and good luck!"

"He's huge…" Ryou whispered to Crystal, who was staring in complete awe at the man before them.

"Come along, you two." The man chuckled, "We need to get to the boats."

Nodding with a dry throat, Crystal followed the man, Ryou holding her elbow her as they walked down a pathway. Everyone seemed to be walking slowly, watching their footing as they traveled downward and came to the bank of a massive lake. They were instructed to climb into the boats, no more than four to one of them, so Crystal and Ryou quickly climbed into one of the boats and were joined by a pair of twin girls. There were hushed whispers and a few gasps when the boats started to move on their own, drifting across the lake. Then there was a collective gasp as the castle came into view for the first time, its many towers jutting up into the starry sky.

"Sugoi…" Ryou breathed beside her, "Tou-san and Kaa-san never mentioned anything like this."

"It's beautiful…" One of the twins whispered.

"All ashore, first years." The large man called from the front, "Just a bit further and we'll be at the castle."

The man led the group of first years up to the large door of the castle, which he knocked firmly three times. The door opened to reveal Professor McGonagall, who had given Crystal her invitation to the school and taken Crystal to get her supplies. She looked stern as ever as she led the group of eleven -year-olds into the castle, directing them past the large dining hall, where the rest of the older students had gathered. They entered a smaller room, which seemed to be connected to the dining room, where Professor McGonagall gave a brief explanation of the point system for reward and punishment. When she concluded her explanation, she left the room quickly, but not before scanning the room with her sharp hazel eyes.

"The Sorting…" Ryou whispered excitedly in Japanese, "I wonder what we have to do. Nii-san refused to tell me."

"I don't think it'll be too dangerous." Crystal murmured back, before glancing at the closed doors, "We don't know much, if any magic."

"I hope you're right." Ryou muttered in reply, "I really hope so."

-

Well the second chapter is finally finished. Like I mentioned, my creative writing is in a bit of a slump, but I'll add chapters as they come along. The Sorting is in the next chapter so you'll have to wait and see where Crystal ends up until then.

I love my hit counter. It assures me that people are reading even without reviews. However, any constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated. Flames, not so much.


	3. Welcome to Hogwarts

I know, I know. I pretty much disappeared again, but at least the chapter is finished. I'm doing my best to keep myself working, but school is making a firm attempt to drain every last bit of creativity out of me. On a positive note though, my birthday is in four days and I followed through with my goal to finish before the weekend. Go me! And for any readers… (gives readers slices of birthday cake)

Have fun reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Translations

Otouto-kun- Little brother

Nii-san- Older Brother

**Chapter Three: Welcome to Hogwarts**

A girl a few feet away was whispering rapidly about the spells she had learned, wondering which she would possibly need for the Sorting, which only served to make Crystal feel more nervous. Ryou placed a comforting hand on Crystal's own trembling hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The action calmed Crystal, causing her to give the white-haired boy a shy smile as she murmured a soft thank you. Her heart finally slowed back down, but what happened next, made her let out a startled gasp and grab Ryou's hand in fright. Several ghosts appeared through the back wall heading to the door that Professor McGonagall had just left through, arguing about someone named Peeves.

"I say; what are you all doing here?" A ghost with a rather large ruff asked; the first ghost to notice the first years.

"New students!" The rotund ghost dressed as a friar exclaimed, "About to be sorted, I suppose?"

Crystal nodded slightly along with a few other students, which caused the Fat Friar to beam at them, wishing that a good deal of the new students were sorted into his House, Hufflepuff. Suddenly Professor McGonagall appeared again, stating that the rest of the school was ready, and that the first years were to form a line. Crystal found herself standing behind a boy with messy black hair, with Ryou following behind her. Ryou was whispering to her softly, reassuring Crystal that everything was going to be just fine, and that the teachers wouldn't let anything bad happen to them. Crystal gave another muted nod, her eyes, floating up to the ceiling of the Dining Hall to see the sky covered with many bright stars.

The sight of the stars provided Crystal with the greatest sense of calm, allowing her to release her fears. She didn't even notice the Sorting Hat until it began to sing in a jolly voice, describing the Houses. When it stopped, Crystal joined in with the enthusiastic applause that came after its song. Relieved whispers sprung up all around Crystal as the first years expressed their happiness about not having to wrestle trolls and other tales older siblings had weaved about them. Professor McGonagall came forward after the applause quieted and started to read off names from. This was the part that made Crystal anxious; she didn't technically have a last name so, Crystal was unsure as to when it would be her turn to try on the Sorting Hat.

"Bakura, Ryou." Professor McGonagall called, causing Ryou to leave Crystal's side and take his place on the stool.

"RAVENCLAW!" The Hat shouted causing the table on the immediate right of the center aisle to clap loudly.

"Yes!" Akeifa's voice rang out from the Slytherin in glee, "You did me proud, otouto-kun!"

It quickly became obvious to Crystal that her name would be last; especially after Professor McGonagall made it through the C's and L's without calling her. When Professor McGonagall called the name, "Potter, Harry" a boy with messy black hair moved from where he stood beside Crystal. She had not even notice the boy, the Legend of the Wizarding World, had been standing beside her. He was sorted into Gryffindor, after a long pause from the Sorting Hat, which caused the entire Gryffindor table to explode in applause. Crystal realized with a start that there were only a few people left now, one other girl and three boys. Finally, after the Sorting Hat placed Blaise Zabini in Slytherin Professor McGonagall called Crystal's name. Crystal sat anxiously on the stool, and then was thrust into darkness as the Hat slid over her blue-green eyes.

"Very interesting." A small voice whispered in Crystal's mind, "Not often I have two difficult students in one year."

I'm difficult? Crystal thought in panic.

"You have a brilliant mind, no doubt there, my dear." The voice said, "But your loyalty and desire for friendship is just as big a factor."

Please, wherever you feel is best. Crystal thought, realizing that the Hat could hear her own thoughts, I'll be happy, wherever you place me.

"You'll be happiest with your friend." The voice chuckled, "So best be in…RAVENCLAW!"

Crystal pulled the Sorting Hat off of her head, hurrying to the same table Ryou had sat down at, as her new housemates clapped. The white-haired boy beamed at Crystal, who was smiling just as brightly when she sank into the seat across from him. Now that she was sitting down, Crystal looked up at the Teacher's Table, spotting Albus Dumbledore, one of the famous wizards from Ryou's Chocolate Frogs, sitting in a large golden chair at the center. He was rising to his feet with a very pleasant smile on his face, which only seemed to make the room brighter. Then Professor Dumbledore opened his arms wide, which caused a warm, welcoming feeling to settle in Crystal as he gazed out over the students.

"Welcome." He said, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words, and here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! …Thank you!"

As he sat down, applause burst out from all around Crystal, to which she joined a happy smile beaming on her face. Then food of all sorts appeared across the table, causing Crystal to realize how hungry she was. There was so much compared to the usually simple meals that were provided at the orphanage. Crystal piled wild rice and vegetables on her plate, before starting to eat quietly as talk swirled all around her. Students were talking about their families and where they were from, asking questions of each other's findings of their Wizarding heritages. Akeifa even leaned back from the Slytherin table and introduced himself as Ryou's older brother, using the opportunity to ruffle the younger boy's hair.

"Are you enjoying the feast?" A soft voice female asked in Crystal's ear.

"Oh, yes." Crystal replied, turning to face the voice, "It's very deli-"

She was now face to face with a silvery lady ghost, smiling at her and the other first years. The ghost was Lady Grey, and she made it clear that there was no reason for any of the first years to feel uncomfortable. Lady Grey admitted that she was not able to savor the taste of the feast, but she could still smell the rich food, which satisfied her enough. The Lady ended up sitting in the area beside Crystal, offer any answers she could to the curious first years about ghosts. The Lady was a good friend to the Fat Friar of Hufflepuff and Sir Nicholas of Gryffindor, and like the other ghost gave the Bloody Baron of Slytherin a wide berth.

As the end of the feast drew near, Professor Dumbledore informed the students of a few rules. The Forbidden Forest was not to be entered, no magic was to be used in the corridors, and the third floor corridor was completely out-of-bounds unless students wished to die painfully. Crystal felt the blood rush out of her face, leaving her pale and worried at the thought of a painful death. Her fears were soon wiped away, as Professor Dumbledore led the entire school in the school song. A smile started to fill Crystal's face at the slightly silly song and her fears were quelled for the time being.

"All right, first years." A pretty girl with curly, black hair smiled, "My name is Penelope Clearwater, and I'm one of the Ravenclaw prefects. Follow me to the common room."

Still chattering slightly, the small group of first years stuck close to Penelope as she led them to the western area of the castle. Crystal was awed to see the people in the portraits move and greet the first years as they passed. There was one portrait of graceful High elves, which Ryou had pointed out, that Crystal had a hard time breaking her eyes away. Then even more surprising was that one of the elves started to hurry after the first years, trying to catch up to Penelope. When the elf reached Penelope, he spoke quickly and quietly, as though he did not want to be heard.

"Thank you for the warning." Penelope smiled, before turning to the first years, "We have to be a touch careful the rest of the way. Peeves, our resident poltergeist, is causing mischief. He's filched some walking canes and was apparently chucking them at the Gryffindor first years."

"More ickle firsties!" A nasty voice cackled with glee, as if on cue.

A squat, male figure appeared floating in the air, dressed in a belled cap and an extremely bright orange bow. He dived down at the first years, ignoring Penelope's threats of summoning the Bloody Baron. Peeves cackled, unafraid, and disappeared from sight, causing Penelope to urge the first years on. The Ravenclaw prefect did not know if Peeves had left or merely turned invisible to play more tricks on the students as they went. They were almost out of the corridor, when Crystal felt a pair of cold hands reach under her hair and clamp firmly on her ears, causing her to cry out in surprise.

"Elfie ears!" Peeves voice howled with laughter, "Ickle firstie elfie ears!"

"Peeves, leave her alone!" Penelope shouted at the invisible troublemaker, "Mark my words, I will tell the Baron about this!"

There was another rude noise from Peeves, as he became visible once more and zoomed back down the corridor, rattling suits of armor as he went. The damage had been done and tears were starting to flow from Crystal's eyes, as Ryou gave her a comforting hug. Her vision was so blurry that Crystal barely saw the rest of the corridors, until they stopped in front of a portrait of a bearded man riding upon the back of a silver hawk. The bearded man smiled at the first years and introduced himself as Falconer, before asking Penelope for the password. Penelope gave the password ("Aerie") and Falconer nodded, as the portrait swung open, revealing the Ravenclaw common room.

"I'll take her from here." Crystal heard Penelope's voice say in a comforting tone.

"I don't care what _he _says, I like your ears." Ryou whispered to Crystal, before letting Penelope steer her towards the stairs up to the girls' dormitories.

Crystal gave a fleeting glance to Ryou, who smiled back at her, as she and Penelope walked up the stairs in silence. Penelope opened the door to the first years' dormitory and suggested that the girls get some rest, before closing the door. The four girls nodded and changed into their pajamas, but instead of going to bed, the three other girls sat with Crystal on her four-poster bed. They were curious about Crystal's ears, especially after Peeves remark, and wanted to see them before bed. After several minutes of coaxing, Crystal reluctantly lifted her hair to show the pointed tips of her ears.

"They're so cute!" Padma Patil, one of the Indian twins from the boat squealed.

"That mean old poltergeist has no right to pick on you." Mandy Brocklehurst, a brown-eyed, pig-tailed blonde, remarked firmly.

"Don't let him make you feel bad." Lisa Turpin, blue-eyed brunette consoled, "That white-haired boy, Ryou, is right. We don't care about your ears, we like them."

Blushing brightly, Crystal mumbled a small thank you, before receiving hugs from each of her roommates. Ryou had been right on the first day she met him, everyone she met so far thought her ears were perfect. When she crawled under the covers of her bed, all thoughts of Peeves and his teasing melted away. The bed was softer and more comfortable than the beds back at the orphanage, allowing Crystal to quickly fall into a deep sleep. Soon dreams of magical creatures and spells filled Crystal's mind, leaving the small girl feeling as though she had finally found somewhere that she belonged.

The next morning, Crystal was up at dawn and sifting through her trunk quietly, trying to find her brush and hair elastics. Ryou and the girls were right; her ears were fine the way they were. Nodding firmly, Crystal quickly pulled her hair into a tight single braid at the back of her head. The copper highlights in her brown hair caught the morning glow and became more defined, bringing forth the green in Crystal's blue-green eyes. Nodding in satisfaction, Crystal made her bed and slipped on a pair of slippers, before taking her _Unicorns and Winged Horses_ book down to the common room to read before breakfast.

"Are you leaving already?" Mandy's sleepy voice halted Crystal, "What time did you wake up?"

"I was only going to the common room." Crystal replied, halting and turning to face the blonde, "And I've been up since dawn."

"Please stay a while." Padma yawned, rising in her own bed, "Then we could all go down together."

"That's a wonderful idea." Lisa agreed, sticking her head out from her curtains, "Oh, please say that you'll stay, Crystal."

Crystal nodded slightly and returned her bed, placing the book on top and turned to face the other girls with a smile. The three others squealed in delight and hurried to get dressed, chattering excitedly about what the classes were going to be like. Like Crystal, the other three girls had read through their books and were curious as to how the classes were going to be taught. Hopes of trying spells on the first day were flying through the air, along with curiosities of the teachers' teaching styles. Crystal remained silent unless directly asked a question, still feeling a bit nervous around the three other girls. Soon, however, Crystal was dragging into a discussion about which of the books had seemed most interesting as the four girls made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"I can't choose just one." Crystal explained, "However, Herbology will probably be a class that I do very well in. I had a garden back at the orphanage."

"Oh, so that's why Professor McGonagall called you last." Lisa remarked, "I understand why you were so quiet last night at dinner now, too."

Crystal shrugged slightly at the comment, not really wanting to continue on the subject during breakfast. The three other Ravenclaw first years quickly caught on to Crystal reaction and switched to talking about classes once more. They reached the Great Hall and seated themselves at the Ravenclaw table, Crystal finding Ryou's smiling face and taking a seat next to him. Akeifa was sitting further down the Slytherin table from them, but he still gave Crystal a nod of greeting when his eyes caught hers. There was an amused glint in his eyes, which made Crystal feel a little unnerved, but she shrugged it off and proceeded to add eggs, fried potatoes, and cantaloupe slices to her plate. Then as she was pouring her orange juice, Crystal nearly jumped in fright; owls exploded into the Great Hall, almost all of them carrying letters to students.

"Artemis!" Crystal laughed, said owl landing on her left shoulder, "Did you sleep well?"

The silver-grey screech owl clicked his beak contentedly and gave Crystal's pointed ear tip a gentle nibble. Giggling to herself, Crystal took a small slice of ham and cut a strip off for Artemis and gave it to him. Happy with his treat, Artemis gave Crystal another nibble on the ear and took flight back out the top windows along with the other owls, the ham firmly grasped in his talons. Professor Flitwick came down the table handing class schedules to the students, eyes glowing merrily. Crystal opened her schedule and quickly found that her first class was Herbology, which met three times throughout the week. Her face lit up with excitement, causing Mandy, Lisa, and Padma to grin brightly at her in turn. Crystal quickly ate the rest of her breakfast and scurried back to the Ravenclaw dormitories to retrieve her belongings for class.

Herbology was everything Crystal could have ever dreamed it was, recognizing every plant in the room from her readings. Professor Sprout was also one of the nicest witches Crystal had ever met, awarding Crystal five points for answering all of her questions about foxfire, including where to find the most potent groves of the plant. Crystal's fellow Ravenclaw classmates stared in disbelief at the amount of information that had come spewing out of the elf-eared girl. Her roommates had known Crystal was knowledgeable plant life, but had never expected her to know quite so much. The Slytherins on the other hand stared glowering at the small girl, unimpressed with her sudden burst of information.

The rest of her classes Crystal found to be just as interesting, especially Charms with Professor Flitwick and Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. The two teachers were almost completely different in teaching style, Professor Flitwick more spontaneous and Professor McGonagall strict, yet still managing to impress the class by turning her desk into a goat and then back again. Then there was History of Magic, taught by Professor Binns who actually happened to be a ghost, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, taught by a stuttering teacher by the name of Professor Quirrell. Crystal noticed that the both Professor Binns and Professor Quirrell seemed to give her ears little glances now and then, but shrugged it off as the typical reaction her ears gave people.

Then there was the class that Crystal was most curious about, considering Akeifa had forewarned Ryou that Professor Snape might force several hard question on him, Potions. Apparently Akeifa was a talented potion maker, and Professor Snape was most likely going to test the new Bakura brother's knowledge on the subject. Crystal and Ryou gave each other a worried glance, as they waited for the previous class, the Double-Potions of Gryffindor and Slytherin to exit the chilly dungeon classroom. Crystal and Ryou slid into one of the second row tables, Ryou pulling back his long, white hair with an elastic band. Professor Snape's eyes roamed the class, while he called off the roll, finding students that matched their names. He, like most people, took note of Crystal's ears, eyes suspiciously narrowed as he finished roll call.

He then launched into a speech about the key differences between potions and the other classes that they had taken thus far. Crystal, who had paper and her quill out, listened entranced to the enthusiasm that her Potions Professor had for his subject. The black-haired man, who had been walking about the classroom as he spoke, stopped beside the desk she and Ryou shared. There he stared down and the obviously mismatched pair and gave a slight snort, before sharply questioning Ryou as to what color a properly made Boil-Curing Potion should be. The white haired boy jumped at the sudden question, but still replied that the properly made potion would be and acidic green color. Nodding in response, Professor Snape then turned his eyes on Crystal, who was quickly writing down the small piece of information.

"And, you, Crystal Lia." Professor Snape questioned, "What key ingredients should one use to make an antidote to a blinding poison."

"A bezoar and an infusion of foxfire." Crystal replied in a meek voice, suddenly unnerved by the Potions Master.

"Well, it seems this class may not be as full of dunderheads as I thought." Professor Snape mused, before declaring to the class, "We will be making a simple potion to cure boils. Should any of you manage to brew a proper potion, it will be an acidic green color, as Mr. Bakura described."

The class quickly set to work making their potions, while Professor Snape prowled about the room, criticizing them sharply. Thankfully, all of their potions were deemed _satisfactory_ when Snape inspected the small flasks just before the class ended. The bell rang and everyone hurried out of the class silently, not waiting to be under the glaring professor's gaze any longer. Next would be lunch, followed by the rest of the afternoon off, which Crystal planned to make use of doing her homework with Ryou in the warm sunshine. The two had become even better friends and nearly inseparable over the week, which had prompted occasional teasing from the others in their House. At lunch it was made clear that Akeifa found the situation becoming more and more amusing. He rattled off something in Japanese to Ryou, causing his much paler, younger brother to turn bright red.

"Nii-san!" Ryou grimaced, "We are friends… Nothing more."

"You keep telling yourself that, otouto-kun." Akeifa chuckled in reply, "However, you know I'm probably right."

"Any problems, boys?" Professor McGonagall asked, spotting Ryou's red face as she walked past.

"Other than embarrassing me, no Professor." Ryou shook his head, still pink in the cheeks.

"Sorry, Professor." Akeifa muttered when the strict woman's eyes rested on him, "Brotherly banter."

"It's true." Ryou piped up when he saw the strict teacher raise an eyebrow, "He was only teasing."

Apparently realizing that she was not going to be told what had been said, Professor McGonagall nodded and headed off. Akeifa stared at Ryou in mild surprise, but the younger boy merely shrugged and made a comment in Japanese, before turning back to his plate. Crystal looked in confusion between the two brothers, but only received a smirk and a wink from Akeifa. The action made a hot blush race into her own ears and cheeks, causing Crystal to focus her attention back on her plate. When dinner was over, neither she nor Ryou said a word to the other, both still quite uncomfortable from the incident at dinner.

"Good evening, Lady Crystal, Master Bakura." Falconer greeted from his portrait, "Password, please."

"Wing-beat." Crystal replied, causing the portrait to swing open and admit them.

"Good night, Crystal." Ryou murmured, "I think I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow."

"Ryou, are you sure you don't want to talk?" Crystal asked cautiously, "I don't know what your brother said, but-"

"No, no, don't worry about it." Ryou replied, before hurrying up to the boys' dormitories, "I'll see you at breakfast."

The sudden departure of her friend made Crystal feel as though something pierced her heart deeply, confusing her further. She spent the rest of the evening, curled in a chair far from the fire, reading one of her schoolbooks. The small brunette stayed up far later than any of the other Ravenclaws, even amongst the seventh years. She gazed out the window, watching the moonbeam-bathed lawns of the school as the wind rustled the large willow not too far from the Forbidden Forest. Then she heard it; the trembling whinny of something that sounded similar to a horse calling its herd. Not a moment later, brilliant flashes of pearly-white burst from the tree line, gracefully bounding into the lawns.

"Unicorns…" Crystal gasped softly, watching transfixed.

The unicorn herd's lead mare took off, heading around the castle, Crystal rushing to get to the next window to watch. The unicorns continued their run, however, racing further to the north, where the rest of the castle blocked her view. Crystal's mind wasn't thinking about the curfew rules any longer, only the uncontrollable need to see the unicorns. She sprinted out of the portrait, starling Falconer and his silver mount into wakefulness. There was a loud screech from the hawk, but the unicorns' whinnies danced into Crystal's ears from the windows. The unicorns were all Crystal had room in her mind to think about as she desperately tried to keep up.

Suddenly, their whinnies stopped, the sound no longer echoing in Crystal's ears and driving her onward. Crystal collapsed to her knees, trying to breathe, but her lungs felt all closed up, like during one of her coughing attacks. She was scared; their was no one nearby that knew of her condition, Crystal having no need to worry about pollution this far into the countryside. There was a quiet meow to her left, and the frail girl saw Mrs. Norris staring at her with lamp-like eyes in the darkness. Crystal tried to speak, but the pain in her chest did not let up enough for her to utter a word. There was the sound of footsteps coming closer, along with a light, most likely the old caretaker, Mr. Filch.

"Caught red-handed!" Mr. Filch chuckled, his light landing on Crystal's kneeling form, "I'll…"

"Mrs. Norris, fetch Madam Pomfrey." Mr. Filch rasped, upon hearing Crystal's wheezing breaths as she stared up at him, "Quickly."

The cat disappeared into the darkness and the old caretaker knelt beside the gasping and wheezing girl, rubbing her back. The rubbing motion helped and Crystal could feel her chest relax some, but not enough to stop the pain. After several agonizing minute, a disheveled Madam Pomfrey appeared, Mrs. Norris bounding ahead of her. One look at Crystal's still trembling for and the older woman seemed to be jolted into full wakefulness. The two adults supported Crystal, hurrying to the infirmary as quickly as they could without straining small girl's lungs any further. Once there, the old witch rummaged for a potion, while Mr. Filch helped Crystal settle on to one of the beds.

"Here, drink it." Madam Pomfrey prompted, handing Crystal a small goblet of blue, bubbling potion.

Still wheezing, Crystal slowly drank the potion and gasped in a huge breath as an icy-hot sensation raced through her chest. She could breathe again, nearly falling back into the bed at the sharp intake of breath. Once able to breathe properly, Madam Pomfrey questioned Crystal about her breathing troubles. She shook her head when Crystal stated that she did not think it was important to mention the problem. The pale girl was given a brief lecture about the dangers of hiding or not informing others about one's medical conditions. Crystal bowed her head and mumbled an apology to the nurse, stating that she would not forget.

It was late and Crystal felt that she should return to her dormitory, so that the other girls would not become worried at her absence. Madam Pomfrey was thanking Mr. Filch for finding Crystal and notifying her that something was wrong with the girl. The small girl started to rise from the bed, but a stern look from Madam Pomfrey, made her lie down. Then darkness started to overcome her as Crystal's exertion and exhaustion from chasing after the unicorns caught up with her. Sleep was coming quickly, but Crystal was vaguely aware when the old witch removed her slippers and tucked her into the soft bed. Hogwarts was definitely not like the orphanage, and Crystal was starting to feel more at home than she had ever felt before.

-

Finally finished. Sorry, again, about the wait. I'm finding that I'm really busy this semester with my classes, more busy than I expected.

I'll do my best to get another chapter out soon, but do keep this in mind: I'm a college student and I'm taking 17 credit hours this semester. There isn't enough time in the day most days.


End file.
